Toyota praised for adopting towing standards

Posted on October 31, 2013 by admin.

For many truck owners, towing is a part of life. Whether it's for heavy-duty work or to haul around recreational equipment, it's incredibly common to see pickup trucks using their strength in this manner. Unfortunately, while manufacturers regularly release towing capacity, there are not any formal regulations or standards for testing. This can leave drivers wondering what a truck's real towing strength is or what a vehicle's limits are.

To remedy this problem, Toyota has implemented towing standards into its line of pickup trucks. The brand has started adhering to the Society of Automotive Engineers regulation, known as J2807, which provides guidelines for real-world testing of towing capacity. All trucks and SUVs from Toyota since 2011, including the newest 2014 Tundra, will work with these SAE standards. That makes the Japanese automaker the only manufacturer of full-size pickups to do so, although Ford has said it will adopt the system beginning with the 2015 F-150, Automotive.com reported.

"Toyota owners look to us to develop vehicles that meet the highest safety standards, and our voluntary adoption of J2807 helps us deliver on that promise," said Mike Sweers, chief engineer of the Toyota Tundra and Tacoma. "Tundra owners can tow confidently knowing that the published tow rating has been verified by the industry's foremost engineering authority. With Tundra, what you see is what you get."

The efforts from Toyota to streamline towing standards even led the Texas Auto Writers Association to present the automaker with its Distinguished Service Award.

"We appreciate the acknowledgement from TAWA, whose membership includes some of the industry's most truck-savvy automotive journalists," Sweers continued. "This recognition underscores the importance of this standard in helping keep truck owners safe."

While the Tundra may not be a traditional choice for off-road driving, those drivers who want a rugged off-road vehicle known to be capable of towing heavy loads may want to give the machine a second look.